Preparation

To prepare artichokes: Cut off the top 1 inch of leaves from an artichoke. Remove the outer layer of small, tough leaves from the stem end. Snip all remaining spiky tips from the outer leaves. Cut off the stem to make a flat bottom. (Discard the stem.) Starting at the outer layers and progressing inward, pull the leaves apart to loosen. Pull open the leaves at the center until you see the spiky, lighter leaves around the heart. Pull out those lighter leaves to expose the fuzzy choke. Scoop out the choke with a melon baller or grapefruit spoon and discard. Repeat this step with the remaining artichokes.

Spoon ½ cup stuffing into the center of an artichoke. Stuff an additional ½ cup stuffing between the outer leaves, toward the base, using a small spoon. Repeat with the remaining artichokes and stuffing. Divide any remaining stuffing among the artichokes.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and lemon juice; bring to a simmer. Carefully stand the artichokes upright in the pan. Drizzle each artichoke with 1 teaspoon oil.

Cover, transfer the pot to the oven and bake until tender when pierced down through the center with a knife, about 50 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the stuffing is slightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the braising liquid and serve. Use the braising liquid for dipping if desired.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate stuffing (Step 2) for up to 1 day. Prep and stuff artichokes (Steps 3-4) up to 1 hour ahead.

Ingredient note: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about ½ cup fresh crumbs.

Reviews 1

Meh - just okay. First of all, the cooking instructions are CRAZY hard. If you steam the artichokes, you can remove the choke thoroughly and easily and THEN add the stuffing and bake them for about 15 minutes. Secondly, the seasonings/crumbs way overpowered the crab. It was like a waste of $9 (I live in the Midwest and crab meat comes in cans of 6.5oz OR you buy legs and do the work yourself. I reduced the amount of seasoning/crumbs accordingly). I made these because I LOVE the stuffed artichokes at our favorite Italian restaurant. Sadly, this was the first Eating Well recipe that failed me. I think diced shrimp would work much better for more flavor. Maybe add some parsely and grated parmesan. I think the idea is good, but there is so much about this recipe that could be reworked for an ultimate dining experience.